On the platform below, the bookstall's yellow awning
reads Hachette: Banish Monotony and Ennui. The word banish makes Maurice think of villains sent abroad and never allowed to return to France. Georges says if Maurice listens to his elders and reads every spare minute he gets, one day he'll know all the words there are and could even be a school-teacher.
After working all day and doing laundry, I finally sat down to read. I‘ve been looking forward to this one, however, Mama Cat had other plans. I can‘t even be upset 💛🐈
pickI had an ARC of this so started it in (digital) print but wasn‘t drawn in. The audio was much better, although there were too many characters so it was difficult to get to know / care about some of them.
The storyline had me gripped though, and I was desperate to find out the ending.
However, I‘m also slightly disappointed as I expected more (something quirky, unusual or clever) from this author and this felt like a fairly standard HF.
pickI enjoyed this much more than I expected. Donoghue delivers an excellent novel based on a historical event, but this book focuses on the different individuals on the train before the accident. It's a wonderfully written character study that explores class, politics, and human nature.
It's a short read that only took me a few hours because I couldn't stop reading it.
so-soI had high hopes for this one as I enjoy this author, but it never quite met my expectations. While I enjoyed it, the overwhelming number of characters meant that with some exceptions, it was hard to differentiate among them. I think the author captured the time and place well and I did learn something, but I wanted more. It is still, however, a worthy read, but perhaps not as good as her previous works. Thanks to Edelweiss+ for the ARC. 3.25/5
bailedI typically really like Donoghue, so this surprises me. And I‘m honestly not sure if this is me, the book, or the format. I found the audio reader hard to hear somehow, and that certainly didn‘t help. (I think the performance was fine and the mixing just needs to be adjusted.) I may try it again in print just because of the author.
pickAuthor Emma Donoghue writes a suspenseful historical fiction story based on the October 22, 1895, Granville–Paris Express train that crashed through the wall of Gare Montparnasse station in Paris, France, after overrunning the buffer stop. Using the actual passengers on the train, Donoghue looks at class and politics as the train travels towards Paris, as one of the passengers plans a sinister plot.
pickAmsterdam, 1888. Violin maker Vedder learns that a large hotel is to be built on the site of his house. At the same time rural pharmacist Anijs, is concerned about the local peat cutters, who suffer from abject poverty and have no future in the Netherlands. But emigration costs a fortune – exactly the amount that Vedder thinks he can get for the sale of his house to the hotel company. The men become involved in an oppressive adventure. Great HF!
#Two4Tuesday
1) I‘ll set my book goal at 150.
2) These are my most anticipated 2025 new releases. I also keep hoping for a new Madeline Miller.
Want to play? @TieDyeDude @WildAlaskaBibliophile @CBee
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